Device for shaking-down medical thermometers



July 10, 1956 FUTTERMAN DEVICE FOR SHAKING-DOWN MEDICAL THERMOMETERSFiled June 1, 1954 United States Patent DEVICE FOR SHAKING-DOWN MEDICALTHERMOMETERS Louis Futtel'man, White Plains, N. Y., assignor to GemThliermometer Company, New York, N. Y., a partner- S P Application June1, 1954, Serial No. 433,696

Claims. (Cl. 73373) This invention relates to devices for use inconjunction with medical thermometers for the purpose of shakingdown thethermometers, preparatory to taking the temperature of a patient. Moreparticularly, the invention deals with a device of this type and kind,comprising a casing, in which a thermometer has a cushioned support, onepart of the casing including a vibratory arm pivoted thereto to normallylie substantially parallel to the casing and adapted to be extendedbeyond one end of the casing in the operation of vibrating or agitatingthe casing, including the thermometer therein.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with a structure of thecharacter described, wherein said arm is fashioned to form a holdingclip for retaining the casing in connection with a support.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a device made according to my invention,illustrating one of the parts in extended position in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side and sectional view of the device, as shown inFig. l, with parts of the construction broken away.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of mounting which Iemploy, detached, with part of the construction broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, showing only a part of theconstruction and showing a modification.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I have indicated at a casing,comprising an elongated cylinder 11, with a detachable cap 12 adapted tobe mounted on the open end of the cylinder 11. The closed end 13 of thecylinder 11 includes a cushioning pad 14 of cotton, rubber or othersuitable material. The closed end 15 of the cap 12 includes a similarpad 16. At 17 is indicated diagrammatically a medical thermometer, thelower bulb end 18 of which is adapted to seat in the pad 14; whereas,the other end 19 of the thermometer seats in the pad 16. This mountingretains the thermometer against movement relatively to the casing 10 inthe use of the device, as later described.

At 20 I have shown a shaker, or vibrator unit, which, as shown in Figs.1 and 2 of the drawing, comprises a narrow mounting ring 21 cemented orotherwise fixed to the cap 12, the ring 21 having an inward extension 22arranged in the plane of part of said ring. An operating arm 23 ispivoted, as seen at 24 to said extension 22, so

that the arm 23 can be normally maintained in a position substantiallyparalleling the casing, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing,and extended beyond the end 15 of the cap, as indicated in dot-dashlines. When in the extended position, the arm 23 is grasped between thefingers of the hand and agitated in the operation of shaking-down thethermometer or, in other words, in

moving the mercury or other fluid in the direction of the bulb end 18 ofthe thermometer.

The arm 23 is in the form of an elongated thin and narrow strip whichhas spring characteristics so that the casing may be given a swinging ormore or less vibratory movement in operation, as stated above. The arm23, adjacent the pivot 24, has an elongated depression 25 to form a clipmember which engages the cap 12 and can be utilized in the frictionalmounting of the complete device in connection with a pocket or othersupport. The arm 23, beyond the depression 25, is offset, as seen at 26,so that the end portion 27 of the arm is maintained in close proximityto the cylinder 11 of the casing and an outwardly pressed transversebead 28 is formed adjacent the end of the arm to provide a fingergrip,retaining the arm against movement relatively to the fingers in theshaking-down or vibratory action of the device, as previously described.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modi fication, whereinthe arm 23 is pivoted to a split ring 21', rather than a solid ring, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the split ring having an extension 22, similarto the extension 22, in which the pivot 24' is mounted. This type ofconstruction would adapt the unit 20' for mounting upon a pre-purchasedcasing; thus the shaking-down unit can be sold independently as anarticle of manufacture.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, I have shown another form of construction and,in this figure, 12' represents part of a cap, similar to the cap 12, andat 29 is shown an arm, similar to the arm 23, but instead of using themounting ring, the arm 29 is directly pivoted to the cap 12 by a rivetpivot 30, secured to the wall of the cap 12. It is also preferred that asmall ferrule 31 be employed around the rivet 30 so that the rivet canbe securely fixed against the ferrule and leave slight clearance on theferrule for free swinging movement of the arm 29 from the collapsedposition into an extended position, similar to the position of the arm23, indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Generally, the casing or the separate parts thereof are composed of hardrubber, plastics or similar materials and the parts are detachablycoupled in any desired manner. No specific showing of this is made, asthis is well known in the art. In this connection, the arm can also becomposed of types of plastic materials having the desired flexible orspring properties required and, here, the arm can be of the same coloras the material employed in the casing parts or in a color contrastingthereto. While the structures mentioned above are preferred, it will beapparent that any types and kinds of materials can be used in thevarious parts. Further, the invention deals generally with the provisionof means on or associated with a thermometer for accomplishing theshaking-down operation which is universally practiced in the use ofthermometers to assure the taking of proper temperatures.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a thermometer of the character described, a casing comprisingdetachably coupled cylinder and cap parts, means for yieldablysupporting a thermometer within said parts when in coupled relationship,an arm in the form of an elongated thin wall narrow strip having one endpivotally coupled with the cap part and normally collapsed in a positionsubstantially paralleling the cap part when said arm is not in use, andsaid arm having spring properties and adapted to be extended beyond theend of said cap part in agitating the casing and thermometer therein forpurposes described.

2. In a thermometer of the character described, a casing comprisingdetachably coupled cylinder and cap parts, means for yieldablysupporting a thermometer within said parts when in coupled relationship,an arm in the form of an elongated thin wall narrow strip having one endpivotally coupled with the cap part and normally collapsed in a positionsubstantially paralleling the cap part when said arm is not in use, saidarm having spring properties and adapted to be extended beyond the endof said cap part in agitating the casing and thermometer therein forpurposes described, and the other end portion of said arm being offsetwith respect to the first named end portion in the direction of saidcylinder and arranged parallel with said cylinder.

3. In a thermometer of the character described, a casing comprisingdetachably coupled cylinder and cap parts, means for yieldablysupporting a thermometer within said parts when in coupled relationship,an arm in the form of an elongated thin wall narrow strip having one endpivotally coupled with the cap part and normally collapsed in a positionsubstantially paralleling the cap part when said arm is not in use, saidarm having spring properties and adapted to be extended beyond the endof said cap part in agitating the casing and thermometer therein forpurposes described, and the first named end portion of said arm havingan elongated inward ofiset ,forming a clip.

4. The combination with a medical thermometer casing,

of an elongated spring arm in the form of a thin wall narrow strip,means at oneend' portion of said' strip and easing forming a fixedpivotal coupling of the arm with said casing for movement of the arminto a position extending longitudinally of the casing to a positionextending beyond one end of, the casing, the other free end portion ofthe spring arm having a fingergrip portion, and the arm, adjacent thepivot means having an inwardly pressed clip portion extendinglongitudinally of the arm.

5. A thermometer shake-down unit, comprising a narrow ring-like member,having an integral extension, an elongated thin wall narrow spring armpivoted to the extension of said member, and the free end of the armhaving a beadrforming a fingergrip portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS837,339 Peterson. Dec. 4, 1906 1,019,289 Zeal Mar. 5,, 19.12 1,405,709Black Feb. 7., 19,22:

FOREIGN PATENTS 802,005 France May 30, 1936

